Upgrading The Toboggan

From the HUD, Hunters can use the Upgrade button to improve various aspects of their toboggan. 3 areas can be improved upon: Speed, Power, and Special, and there are 3 levels of improvement available for each area. The areas can be improved upon independently from each other, but each area can only be improved in order. Furthermore, the loot required for Special upgrades is not available in Green Circle courses, so at least one Speed or Power upgrade is required to hunt in Blue Square courses first.

Hazards and Bonuses

Hunters will encounter Hazards and Bonuses when racing their toboggan on the various courses. Both can be affected by upgrading the toboggan.
On a hunt, the speed of the toboggan will move the Hunter forward that many meters and all bonuses and penalties encountered during that hunt will then be applied and set the speed available for the next hunt.

Hazards

Hunters will encounter Hazards which reduce speed if not defended against. Certain upgrades will increase the chance that Hunters will successfully defend against Hazards.
A Failure to Catch or a Failure to Attract will reduce the toboggan speed by 2.

Hazard

Effect

DefendwithUpgrade

Green Circle-Gnawnia

Green Circle-Whisker Woods

BlueSquare

BlackDiamond

DoubleBlackDiamond

OrangeRectangle-Comet Challenge

OrangeRectangle-New Year's

Boulder

Resets speed to 1

Ramming SpikesPower Upgrade #3

X

X

X

X

Firecracker

X

Ice Patch

Reduces speed by 4

Ice SkisSpeed Upgrade #2

X

X

X

X

Moguls

Reduces speed by 2

Spring SuspensionSpeed Upgrade #1

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Snow Thrower

Reduces speed by 4

Snow CannonPower Upgrade #2

X

X

X

X

Snow Vortex

Resets speed to 1

Fog LightsSpeed Upgrade #3

X

X

X

X

Tree

Reduces speed by 2

Reinforced HullPower Upgrade #1

X

X

X

X

X

X

Bonuses

Hunters will encounter Bonuses which can increase speed or provide loot items.
Loot items found in Supply Crates, Floating Supply Crates, and Stacks of Supply Crates are related to the areas represented by the course being run.
The Orange Rectangle course reward items related to the event, including Great Winter Hunt Cheeses and toboggan upgrade materials.

Mice -- Green Circle Courses

These mice are found on the Green Circle courses.
Hunters do not need to make any Toboggan Upgrades to acces these courses.
Completing either of these courses by beating the Young Prodigy Racer Mouse rival will result in a catch of that mouse as a bonus hunt which does not consume cheese or charms.
Recommended Power Types for the Gnawnia course: Any
Recommended Power Types for the Whisker Woods course: Physical, Tactical

Mice -- Orange Rectangle Courses

These mice are found on the Orange Rectangle courses.
Hunters will need to complete 8 Toboggan Upgrades to access these courses.
Completing the Comet Challenge course by beating the Rainbow Racer Mouse rival will result in a catch of that mouse as a bonus hunt which does not consume cheese or charms..
Completing the New Year's course by beating the New Year's Mouse rival will result in a catch of that mouse as a bonus hunt which does not consume cheese or charms. This course is locked until the beginning of the new year.
The Stuck Snowball Mouse can be found on these courses and the encounter is also treated as a bonus hunt which does not consume cheese or charms..
Recommended Power Types for the Comet Challenge course: Any
Recommended Power Types for the New Year's course: Any